What opportunities are there for casting for stripers in Midwest reservoirs? I'm not interested in trolling, just doesn't appeal to me. I know they'll run up river branches during the spring pre-spawn, but how about the rest of the year?

not sure what you count as Midwest, but i'd say southern Illinois is closest, but going more south than mid might get you into more fish.You can cast for them anywhere, it's just your timing has to be right, both seasonally and time of day wise. They are notorious pre dawn feeders and when the water is not too warm can be caught casting top water or near top water type lures.bestL

At Toledo Bend, Louisiana/Texas border, I found that I could locate huge schools at the dam end during the middle of summer and jig to them. Lot of hot fishing at times. Now that I am in Utah, Lake Powel has a bunch of small Strippers and fishing the shad boils in the fall is fun. Sometimes you get sore arms by tossing topwater to the boiling water from the Strippers working the schools.

My wife was afraid of stepping outside the house because Louisiana has 47 kinds of snakes; 7 of which are poisonous. She never saw one of the bad ones, but to her, all snakes are dangerous. It did not help that they have cockroaches that live outside year round, and move inside when the weather gets too hot or too cold. These cockroaches the locals call palmetto bugs, but are the Cuban or American cockroach and measure up to 4" long. We sprayed the house and sealed it up as best as we could, but finding dead roaches, even one or two, is enough to mess a northern city girl up. Last but not least, finding a dead scorpion in the bathroom one night pretty much sealed the deal....... she was moving, with or without me!

Don't get me wrong, there is a lot to say good about Louisiana, and I could go on or post great pictures and videos about it, but sometimes it all comes down to how bad do you want to save a 35 year marriage. In my case, pretty bad. So, now I get to find out if "Big Fish" can be a relative term.....because I know that nothing in Utah compares.